Dallas Sierra Club Calendar
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Mar 13-16 (Thu-Sun) Paddling Trip On The Wild Neches River
It's been a while since we've had a river trip due to the ongoing drought - or is it the new climate? It's time to get those dusty boats wet. This flat water canoe/kayak trip provides an opportunity for solitude while paddling the beautiful Neches River through the heavily wooded (and still wet) Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas. The Neches River is considered by experts to be one of the top 10 flat water rivers in the lower 48 states. The trip starts at highway 1013 near Spurger and ends 39 miles downstream at highway 96 near Silsbee. The exact section paddled could change depending on river flow. This trip is now full. Contact the trip leader if you would like to be on the short wait list. Trip rated: Moderate. Leader: Bill Greer Send Email 972-247-0446
The first day will be mostly a travel day. After a drive of about 290 miles from Dallas we'll meet late afternoon at our put-in. We'll go 2 or 3 miles down the river and find a home for the night. There will be an option to meet at an outfitter, leave our cars in his parking lot, and be shuttled to the put-in and back from the take-out. The next 3 days will give us a leisurely trip down the river and an early take-out for the trip home. If you want to see how fast you can get down the Neches this is not the trip for you.
You will need to provide your own boat, camping gear, and all the trimmings for 3 nights and 3 days on the river. You can rent a canoe or kayak from this same outfitter. You can find out more about this part of the Neches at this link. You can take an aerial tour here . You may have to click "satellite".
Mar 15 (Sat) Upgrading Trails at Cedar Ridge Preserve
This will be a great opportunity to get out to the Cedar Ridge Preserve to help upgrade some of the beautiful walking trails just south of Dallas. The address is 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75249. Its a great morning workout, and the scenery is exceptional. No tools are required, (maybe gloves), just show up and be ready to lend a hand or two. 'We'll work from 9 AM to 12ish, and then walk around the preserve and admire the wildflowers and fauna! Bring some water. There are 10 miles of trails! It's on Saturday the 15th of March, 2014, and please see the website at www.audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html for directions and info. The number is 972-709-7784 See you then! If you wish to carpool, let me know and we'll arrange a meeting spot. Come on out and stay green! Trip rated: Easy. Leader: Ginger Bradley Send Email 469-223-7902
Mar 19 (Wed) No Outings Committee Meeting
No Outings Committee meeting this month. We did our homework and earned a pass. The Outings Committee will meet next on April 16. Organizer: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733
Mar 29-30 (Sat-Sun) Beginner Backpack Trip to the Caney Creek Wilderness
Join us for one of the Dallas Sierra Club’s favorite local backpacking trips. We’ll backpack in about 4 1/2 miles along Caney Creek, cross it a few times, and climb some small hills. After setting up camp near a waterfall, we’ll do a short day hike as time and energy permits. For many of us this was our first Wilderness hike and it's still one of our favorites. Trip rated: Easy. Leader: Bill Greer Send Email 972-247-0446
We
'll spend Friday night at a Forest Service campground near our cars. We'll meet at the campground Saturday morning and caravan to the trailhead. We'll backpack in to our campsite near some nice falls on Katy Creek. Sunday we will hike back out to our cars over the same route. It always looks different going the other way. We'll stop for a late lunch in DeQueen, Arkansas on the way back home. You'll hike enough miles to check out those new boots but not TOO many miles.
Mar 29-Apr 1 (Sat-Tue) Backpack the Buffalo River Trail, 36 Miles from Boxley to Pruitt, Arkansas
We will meet Saturday at 8:30 AM at the Gordon Motel in Jasper Arkansas so we can shuttle cars to the trailheads and start hiking by 11:00. This is the longest contiguous portion of the Buffalo River National Recreational Trail and a real treat to experience. Be prepared for waterfalls, hidden hollows, flowering plants and dramatic vistas. Also be prepared for lots of ups and downs as we go from ridge tops to hollow bottoms following the course of the Buffalo River. This time of the year, the weather should be delightful, but bring some layers for cool evenings and perhaps even some rain. This countryside has it all. Elk, turkey and eagle sightings are always a possibility. Based on the mileage, leader pre-approval is required to go on this trip. Call me early as spots are limited. Trip rated: Moderately Strenuous. Leader: Bill Beach Send Email 214-662-3224
Mar 30 (Sun) Annual Dallas Sierra Club Azalea Day Hike in Highland Park
Come for a leisurely walk of one and a half to two hours along Turtle Creek and to Flippen Park. Meet at 2:00 PM at the shopping strip in the 4200 Block of Oak Lawn, just north of Wycliff. This is accesssible from Interstate 35E via the Oak Lawn exit or from North Central Expressway via Fitzhugh. No reservations are needed. Trip rated: Easy. Leader: Austin Brouns Send Email 214-528-3812
Apr 12 (Sat) White Rock Lake Clean-up
Walk and talk while helping to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM at the Love of the Lake office, northeast corner of Garland Road and Buckner Boulevard. Look for a crowd of people drinking free juice and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc. will be provided. Our area includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. Brunch afterwards. Trip rated: Easy. Leader: Carol Nash Send Email 214-824-0244
Apr 16 (Wed) Outings Committee Meeting
Meet upstairs at the REI Dallas store, north side of LBJ Freeway between Midway and Welch Roads, 6:30 PM. Tonight's agenda will include reviewing progress at arranging summer 2014 bus trips and setting training programs through 2014. Outings leaders, prospective leaders, and people interested in outings are welcome. Ask Mark to be placed on the email list for an agenda. Organizer: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733
Apr 19 (Sat) Upgrading of Trails at Cedar Ridge Preserve
It's fun to get out to the Cedar Ridge Preserve to help upgrade some of the beautiful walking trails just south of Dallas. The address is 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75249. It's a great morning workout, and the scenery is exceptional. No tools are required, (maybe gloves) just show up and be ready to lend a hand or two. We'll work from 9 AM to 12 ish. then walk around the preserve and admire the wildflowers and fauna! There are 10 miles of trails all in all. Bring some water. Its on Saturday the 19th of April, Please see the website at www.audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html for directions and info. The number is 972-709-7784 See you then! If you wish to carpool, then let me know, and we'll arrange a meeting spot. Come on out and stay green! Trip rated: Easy. Leader: Ginger Bradley Send Email 469-223-7902
May 21 (Wed) No Outings Committee Meeting
There's no Outings Committee meeting this month. The Outings Committee will meet next on June 18. Organizer: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733
May 23-27 (Fri-Tue) Sacramento Mountains, Cloudcroft, New Mexico
We're now accepting registrations for the Memorial Day weekend sleeper bus trip to this new destination ten miles east of Alamogordo. Our trails are in Lincoln National Forest at elevations from 7,800 to 9,500 feet, forested with fir, pine and aspen. We've reserved a group shelter for breakfast on arrival. One trip option is day hikes from this appealing base camp with vault toilets and a fire pit amphitheater. All other trips will continue after breakfast to trailheads along the Rim Trail. Thirty-one miles in all, the Rim Trail generally follows the divide between the Rio Grande and Pecos watersheds, with occasional views to White Sands and the Tularosa Valley far below. The Rim Trail was the first National Recreational Trail in New Mexico. Area history is tied to logging and the “Cloud-Climbing Railroad” that hauled out timber and brought in vacationers. Railroad grade and trestle remnants are prominent features on the day hikes. Departure is Friday evening, with return before dawn Tuesday. Click here for complete trip details and registration application forms. Email the Bus Trip Coordinator for inquiries. Bus trip leader: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733
Jun 18 (Wed) Outings Committee Meeting
Meet upstairs at 6:30 at the Dallas REI store, north side of LBJ Freeway, between Midway and Welch Roads. This month's agenda will include a review of the Sacramento Mountains trip and final drill for the upcoming Pecos Wilderness trip. Outings leaders, prospective leaders, and people interested in outings are welcome. Ask Mark to be placed on the email list for an agenda. Organizer: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733
Jul 3-9 (Thu-Wed) Bus Trip to the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico
SAVE THESE DATES for glorious high country backpacking in northern New Mexico! This is a backpacker’s paradise - a high, forested, basin dotted with meadows, rimmed by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and a high ridge called The Divide. The basin is cut by the roaring Pecos River and its tributaries. This awesome landscape supports elk, mountain sheep, marmots and more. Alpine vegetation and breathtaking vistas are some of the rewards for reaching the Skyline Trail as it threads high ground near the treeline. Trail itineraries ranging from moderately strenuous to strenuous span five days and four nights. The bus will depart Dallas on Thursday night and return at daybreak the next Wednesday. Details and registration application forms will be posted here in April. Bus trip leader: Mark Stein Send Email 214-526-3733
Aug 27-Sep 2 (Wed-Tue) Labor Day Backpacking in the Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado
Escape the Texas heat this Labor Day weekend. Join this trip to the cool Colorado mountains of the Weminuche Wilderness, west of Creede. This is the largest designated Wilderness in Colorado, with a variety of terrain in mountains, green valleys, high lakes and streams. Trips will range from moderately strenuous backpacking with day hikes to strenuous hikes crossing the Continental Divide multiple times. The Weminuche offers all the miles you want to hike. It's a hidden jewel and one of our most popular trips. Details and sign-up information will be posted here in early summer. Bus trip leader: Kathryn Hurn Send Email 214-321-4030
Oct 17-19 (Fri-Sun) Celebrate Fall at Beavers Bend State Park - Save the date!
This fall campout has been so much fun it's turned into an annual event. Join us to enjoy the scenic beauty and fall colors of Beavers Bend State Park in southeast Oklahoma. Our group complex offers your choice of rustic cabins or tent camping on the grassy lawn or by the river. Amenities include a dining hall with kitchen, stone fireplace so we can fix s'mores rain or shine and yes, even a bath house with flush toilets and hot showers. Activity options will include various group hikes and outdoor related mini-clinics
or you can be on your own to enjoy the many options offered by the park including hikes, nature center and museum, horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking (rentals available), even a train ride through the forest for those wanting to see it the easy way! Saturday night offers a catered BBQ dinner (optional) and guest speaker. Complete trip information will be posted here in mid-August. Send email to trip coordinator to be notified when reservations open. Gather your family and friends - this outings is great for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stages! Trip rated: Kid Friendly. Coordinator: Liz Wheelan Send Email 214-368-2306
Nov 6-11 (Thu-Tue) Bus Trip to Big Bend National Park - A lot more than cactus!
Save these dates. November is an ideal month to explore this unique piece of Texas. The high Chisos Mountains are a sky island hosting evergreens and Bigtooth Maples. The Tierra Quemado, 5,000 feet lower, has canyons and washes that conceal precious water sources. The Rio Grande glides around the south edge of the park , threading the bases of the Mexico's Sierra del Carmen. If you've never been to this national park, you owe it to yourself to come. If you've been before, come again. Our chartered sleeper bus will leave Dallas Thursday evening and return before dawn on Tuesday (Veteran's Day). Some backpacking experience is required. Trip details and registration forms will be posted here in the late summer. Trip rated: Moderate. Bus trip leader: Arthur Kuehne Send Email 214-608-3210
